Did some damage to my front end today...

[Afflyer]

Well CRAP!

I pulled into a parking lot on base, this morning, and misjudged the height of the sidewalk/curb.  When I straighted up my parking effort, I ran right over and onto the curb with a grind and scrape that went throughout the entire car and into your bones!  .  I pulled back and got out to assess the situation, thinking I did the front valence and lower bumperettes a disservice, but they were fine.

I looked a bit further and found that one of the two brackets that hold the anti-sway bar to the K-frame was cracked and bent back.  The situation had my stomach turning in knots the moment I saw what I did. 

I gingerly drove her back home, with my brother following me all of the 45 miles back to the garage.  He told me after we got back that I had no brake lights to add to the pain of my damaged sway bar bracket.

There was no problem driving her home, as far as handling was concerned.  I think the prayers of driving the 45 miles back into my garage might have kept me safe too.  Now I'm at a quandry as to what to do.

The front end is the original on the car and really has been in need of replacing ever since I brought her home from Tennessee.  All of the bushings and boots are in the kind of shape you'd expect to see after almost 40 years- which is pretty shot, if you can imagine.

The obvious thing I need to replace is the two brackets for the sway bar, as one is really screwed up.  Does any one here know of a good place (other than E-bay) where I can get the front end parts that I need?  Have any of you recently worked on your front ends?

Since I've got to replace those two brackets, I might as well replace all of the rubber parts under there and also replace all of the tie rod ends and hardware.  Is there any other thing I'm overlooking that should be replaced?  The K-member is in pretty good shape, as well as the actual anti-sway bar and the torsion rods, though I wouldn't mind replacing those with R/T specific torsion rods too.

Any help you guys can pass my way will be most appreciated- as always.

Bradley

[THE COLONEL]

Dang, that sucks.  That would freak me out too.  If it needed replaced, maybe it was a sign before something worse happened.

[69charger2002]

PST has all the stuff. i have used their stuff twice. i loved it. on the back of one of the mopar mags, or used to be. like 299 for the sholw kit if i remember right
sorry about your accident. i know the feeling and those knots in your stomach that don't go away for hours
trav

[TruckDriver]

Dang, that sucks.  That would freak me out too.  If it needed replaced, maybe it was a sign before something worse happened.

I agree. Better to happen the way it did, then at 60 mph.

[Paul G]

I have used the poly K-frame bushings from Just Suspensions. No problems. Top quality parts.

http://www.justsuspension.com/

[mikepmcs]

Here's a couple threads on this with part numbers.  If you have a NAPA you can get everything you need I suspect except the cracked brackets but worth a shot too.

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,15396.0.html

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,23875.0.html

I would just go with the moog stuff personally.

v/r
Mike

[rt green]

what size is your sway bar? wouldnt hurt to think about going with a bigger one while you have it apart. a rear one would help out to.